Counselor Serves Shore Community as Resource and Teacher
"We want to take care of the whole child. Part of that is helping them grow socially and understand how to navigate challenges that we all experience in life," says Katie Hertz, clinical psychologist and counselor at Shore. Shore parents originally posed the idea of hiring a counselor, and administrators enthusiastically agreed.
Since coming to Shore two years ago, Katie has become a trusted resource—helping to further strengthen our community and support every student and family.
Katie meets with both Lower and Upper School students during lunch groups to get to know them and to discuss social topics. She makes herself available to parents to talk about challenges at home. And for longer term counseling needs, Katie is knowledgeable of a network of providers with different expertise so that she can refer families.
Educating the North Shore community on social topics that affect them is another part of Katie’s role. In December, for example, she brought speaker Katie Koestner to campus for a seminar called Digital Citizenship: Parenting to the Tech Generation. Koestner spoke to parents and lead workshops with students and teachers on how to manage social media behavior and avoid its pitfalls.
Katie also consults with faculty members on how to handle a situation if challenging subjects come up in the classroom. Fourth grade health classes are co-taught by Katie, who collaborates with Elizabeth MacCurrach to address age-appropriate social and emotional development and discuss topics like conflict resolution and stress management. Katie also co-teaches eighth grade health classes, guiding the dialogue on gender stereotypes, sexuality, and mental health.
"It’s great to know that support system is there for our children, and for us as parents," says one parent. "Our kids feel like they always have a friendly ear."
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Since coming to Shore two years ago, Katie has become a trusted resource—helping to further strengthen our community and support every student and family.
Katie meets with both Lower and Upper School students during lunch groups to get to know them and to discuss social topics. She makes herself available to parents to talk about challenges at home. And for longer term counseling needs, Katie is knowledgeable of a network of providers with different expertise so that she can refer families.
Educating the North Shore community on social topics that affect them is another part of Katie’s role. In December, for example, she brought speaker Katie Koestner to campus for a seminar called Digital Citizenship: Parenting to the Tech Generation. Koestner spoke to parents and lead workshops with students and teachers on how to manage social media behavior and avoid its pitfalls.
Katie also consults with faculty members on how to handle a situation if challenging subjects come up in the classroom. Fourth grade health classes are co-taught by Katie, who collaborates with Elizabeth MacCurrach to address age-appropriate social and emotional development and discuss topics like conflict resolution and stress management. Katie also co-teaches eighth grade health classes, guiding the dialogue on gender stereotypes, sexuality, and mental health.
"It’s great to know that support system is there for our children, and for us as parents," says one parent. "Our kids feel like they always have a friendly ear."
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Hertz leads individual and group discussions on a range of issues to encourage students to appreciate their differences and recognize the need for mutual respect among their peers—important aspects of Shore’s Community Code.
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Shore Country Day School’s mission is to provide an education that inspires a love of learning and encourages children to embrace academic challenge. We seek to build character, cultivate creativity, and value diversity as we help our children become healthy, compassionate citizens of the world.
The School admits qualified students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law, and extends to them all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its admissions, scholarships, and loans, and its educational, athletic, and other programs.